THERESA May has been urged to show some "backbone" and "square up" against the Brexit demands the European Union has forced the British Government to accept during negotiations.

Former Australian Prime Minister aide Peta Credlin has urged the British Government to show "a bit of bulldog spirit" during Brexit talks. Ms Credlin insisted negotiations with the European Union should not "have been this hard" as she suggested Theresa May should "square shoulders" to protect the interests of British business and citizens against the demands of Brussels. Speaking to talkRADIO, she said: "I worked inside of government for 16 years, it should not have been this hard.

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"In her Lancaster address a couple of years ago, where Brexit meant Brexit and no deal was better than a bad deal – all of these things resonated at the time.

"The duty of Government is to put a plan on the table that’s in Britain’s best interests but there seems to have been a derogation of duties. There is no real no deal option here."

Ms Credlin, who in early January had Brexiteers cheering for leading a Sky News Australia newscast with a passionate speech defending Brexit, demanded the Prime Minister take action to return Britain to its historical prime role on the world's stage.

She continued: "It’s 11 minutes to midnight, it’s chaos in Parliament, there’s behaviour I think it’s very questionable from people like the Speaker.

Brexit news: Credlin urged May to "square shoulders" and not give into to EU demands (Image: TALKRADIO•BBC)

"You should square shoulders, Britain. Put something on the table and walk away. Barg at Europe, they need you far more than you need them and I just think a bit of bulldog spirit there.

"I want to see Britain look and sound like it used to look and sound."

Theresa May is expected to suffer a humiliating loss in the Commons after attempts to defend the Brexit withdrawal agreement she unveiled in November.

The Prime Minister has held a number of discussions with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in order to deliver assurances to MPs that the controversial Irish backstop will not be used by the European Union to hold Britain hostage in a customs union.

Mr Juncker urged MPs to back the withdrawal deal because a no-deal Brexit would be a “disaster” for the United Kingdom.

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EU and British officials are working on potential clarifications, which set out the backstop is only a “temporary measure” but it is unclear whether they will materialise ahead of the vote.

The EU Commissioner has warned Britain that any contacts in the days before the vote should not be considered as renegotiations, with the EU maintaining the withdrawal agreement is the “best and only deal possible”.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Friday said the deal negotiated between the EU and Britain is the only option on the table - and stressed the importance of preventing a no-deal situation.

But Mr Rutte also sought to soften the blow by stressing any use of the backstop option for the Irish border will be as short as possible.

He said: ”Nobody in the EU has any interest in keeping the UK in the backstop any longer than strictly necessary.”